


bend, break, all over again.

by boxysmiles



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Entity oversees the field, Gen, Inspired by Dead by Daylight (Video Game), Monster is a nurse spirit, Survival Horror, Violence, Weapons, as it does in the game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:21:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27007273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boxysmiles/pseuds/boxysmiles
Summary: They don't know how many generators they need to do. All they know is that they have to do them — the switch at the gated doors won't open without the generators powering it.They're hoping it's the way out. That the monster can't follow them beyond those gates, into whatever lies beyond it.Whatever it is, ithasto be better than here.
Comments: 33
Kudos: 32
Collections: Challenge #2 — tricks; treats; and terrors





	bend, break, all over again.

**Author's Note:**

> Massive thank you to my lovely beta [K](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaemyang) for reading this over for me !! <3 <3  
> and of course to the mods for organising everything <3 
> 
> This is inspired by the survival horror game, Dead By Daylight, but you don't need to know anything about the game to understand this (hopefully asdfgh)

Jaemin's hands are shaking.

He's lost sight of Renjun and Donghyuck. The two split up from Jeno and Jaemin earlier, silently signalling they'd work together to do other generators across the field. They’ve completed one all together, but there's more to cover.

Jeno stayed with him, working on the generator before them. Jaemin's trying to, but he can't get his nerves under control, and his hands won't _stop shaking._

The wrench falls from his fingers, and he messes it up.

The generator gives a small spark, a puff of smoke — but most terrifying of all, there's a loud, sharp _bang!_ that echoes around the field.

"No," Jaemin whispers, horrified. His voice is thankfully lost in the echoes of the _bang,_ but it still seems too loud.

His eyes flicker over to Jeno, who's got his jaw clenched, but is still working on the generator.

 _We have to hide,_ he wants to say. _You have to run._

Jeno glances back, hands still working on the generator. He seems to know what Jaemin's thinking, because he shakes his head.

_No._

Jaemin is the one that messed them up, and he won't let Jeno bear the consequence of that on his own. He takes a deep, shuddering breath, and picks up the fallen wrench.

If the monster decides to investigate, if Jaemin's unlucky enough that they were close enough to hear, they won't have long. The generator is groaning beneath the touch, but it's sounding better, getting _closer._

They don't know how many generators they need to do. All they know is that they have to do them — the switch at the gated doors won't open without the generators powering it.

They're hoping it's the way out. That the monster can't follow them beyond those gates, into whatever lies beyond it.

Whatever it is, it _has_ to be better than here.

Has to be better than these haunting fields. Cornfields and crumbling shacks, only an echo of buildings that they can't hide in. Metal hooks that leave a sickening hole in Jaemin's stomach.

Jaemin can see a spotlight in the distance, illuminating another generator in the middle of a cornfield. They'll head there next if things go to plan, if this generator is completed.

If the monster doesn't find them first.

Jeno's head snaps up suddenly. Jaemin glances, keeping his attention on the generator as much as possible, making sure no more mistakes happen.

"Finish the generator," Jeno mouths to him.

Jaemin reaches out for him, a sinking feeling in his stomach, but Jeno pockets his tools and stands.

He gives Jaemin an encouraging smile, and then he stumbles back a couple of steps before he turns, running away and leaving Jaemin alone on the generator _._

Jeno's footsteps are loud, dry weeds snapping underfoot.

For a field that only has the sound of humming generators, it's noticeable. It's going to draw attention.

And then Jaemin hears it.

Hears _her._

A screech that makes his heart feel like it's stopped. His hands are shaking again, because now Jeno's left him too, and the monster is on top of them.

But Jeno gave Jaemin an order — one he's possibly risking himself for Jaemin to finish, and Jaemin won't fail him.

Jaemin tries to hurry on the generator, but they're fickle and won't let Jaemin speed the process along. He grits his teeth, the sound of Jeno running in the fields echoing so loudly in his ears.

He can hear Jeno jumping over things. Using ledges, destroyed window frames as vaults to try and escape the monster. He's using himself as bait, trying to distract her from Jaemin.

Jaemin can't let Jeno get hurt for this. Not when Jaemin made the mistake to draw her to them.

But Jeno's right — Jaemin can't risk losing this generator now.

There's suddenly the sound of something falling, and then there's another screech from her, one of anger.

Jaemin is absolutely terrified for Jeno.

There's a shout of pain soon after, Jeno this time, and Jaemin knows she's struck him. Jaemin holds his breath, carefully listening.

Jeno is still running. There's the sound of something else dropping, and Jaemin lets himself breathe again. Jeno hasn't been caught yet — maybe injured, if the shout is anything to go by, but he's still moving.

A generator is completed. It’s Renjun and Donghyuck's.

It gets her attention. Jaemin watches her move in the far distance, the way she doesn't move humanly, floating above the floor. A ghost, she looks like, and he watches her figure cross the field.

Except he blinks, and he suddenly loses sight of her. She wasn't far enough to suddenly lose her like that, and Jaemin's pit of dread expands in his stomach.

He almost makes another mistake, but manages to pull it together. The generator sounds much better now, and he thinks he's almost finished. He _hopes_ he is, because he's desperate to move, to try and locate the others.

The generator comes to life beneath him.

A realisation strikes him.

The monster — the ghost — is on her way to Donghyuck and Renjun right now, but might double back to investigate this generator.

He hurriedly puts away his tools and stands, moving backwards. He's got some crumbled walls behind him, and he does his best to quietly move to hide behind them.

Running is a beacon of sound, and he doesn't want to risk it. He hopes he can escape any investigation she might have if he moves quietly, if he doesn't give away his presence to her with his footsteps.

But she doesn't make her way back over. Jaemin hears someone cry out in pain, faintly realising it's Renjun.

And there's Donghyuck's loud voice, yelling " _Hey! Over here!"_

Jaemin's heart sinks.

But his mind is starting to whirl with thoughts of simply surviving, of doing his best to help his friends. He's too far to help Donghyuck and Renjun, and he doesn't know where Jeno is.

He knows where the next generator to complete is though. And the best time to do it is while she's distracted.

Knowing she's sufficiently distracted with Donghyuck and Renjun, he runs over to the fields. The corn is tall, and he thinks he'll be able to hide in it if it comes down to doing so.

The spotlight is bright, a dead giveaway if she comes over to it, but he forces himself to focus. The sooner he gets this generator done, the sooner he helps his friends. This is the best thing Jaemin can do right now.

The work is tedious. Starting from the bottom again with a dead generator, knowing it'll be fiddling and delicate, knowing he has so much work to do.

But it's all he can do.

He listens out carefully — for his friends, and for the monster.

Donghyuck cries out in pain next. Jaemin releases a shuddering breath, trying to push it from mind.

It doesn't mean Donghyuck is caught. If he was, Jaemin has no doubt he'd hear him screaming and shouting at the monster.

There's the sound of footsteps close by, and Jaemin whirls his head around with panic, heart racing.

The corn is moving, parting for someone. But they're walking low, crouched, and Jaemin hesitates to make a move.

Jeno appears through the corn stalks. Jaemin releases a heavy, relieved breath, though it feels too loud.

Jeno moves to the other side of the generator, giving Jaemin a tight smile.

And then Jeno grunts with pain, and Jaemin's attention snaps right back to him, looking him over.

"You're hurt," he mouths, seeing the blood on Jeno's arm. Struck on the shoulder, Jaemin thinks, and he winces at the injury it's left behind.

It's cut through Jeno's jacket, leaving a jagged hole in it. Blood is still seeping from the wound, but Jeno waves off Jaemin's attempts to come over and help him.

"Generator," Jeno mouths right back in reply, pointedly getting out his tools to work on it. Jaemin's mouth drops, aghast at Jeno's tenacity and willingness to work through the pain, but he listens.

Jeno grunts with pain when there's particularly difficult motions as the generator works against him. The noise makes Jaemin wince silently everytime, terrified the monster will come back any moment.

But the monster is screeching rather distantly — but, worryingly, still close to where he could hear Renjun and Donghyuck.

They continue to work on the generator, but Jaemin's focus breaks when he hears Renjun _scream._

His head snaps up, and Jeno's does too. They share a glance, both wide-eyed and horrified and the gut-wrenching sound.

Jaemin can't sit here any longer.

"Stay," he mouths to Jeno, knowing they need to focus on the generators right now. But he _can't_ leave his friends, not again.

Jeno gives him a tight-lipped nod, looking pained. It's best if Jeno stays and works anyway while injured, so that he's not running around and going into a potential fight in a weaker condition.

Jaemin gets up, moving through the corn stalks. In the distance, he starts to see something appearing — something dark and gloomy, wrapping around a certain spot. Like something entangling around a pole, flickering to life with red and orange embers.

It sends an awful chill down his spine, a wave of dread washing over him. It certainly isn't human, some awful creature that looks like it's moving, starting to become more and more tangible the closer Jaemin gets to it.

He gets closer to it, hiding behind a large bale of hay, and realises what it's wrapped around. It's wrapped around a metal pole, one with a hook — and it's there because Renjun is _on the hook._

It's pierced through his shoulder, keeping him suspended above the ground. He doesn't have any leverage, nothing he can use as momentum to propel himself off, and the strange claws are getting closer to him, moving like they're drawn to him.

Wanting to take him.

Jaemin looks on in horror for a moment, then pushes it down. He needs to _help._ He's no use just staring — Renjun needs help, and Jaemin will give it.

Then he sees the monster, lurking. Waiting for someone to appear, to try and save Renjun.

He doesn't know what to do. If he tries to save Renjun, he likely won't make it in time — and then Jaemin will go down, and that's two people that need to be saved.

The longer Jaemin stays up, the better chance Jeno and Donghyuck have.

Jaemin sees it, in the corner of his eyes. On the other side of Renjun, the small clearing made for the hook, Jaemin catches Donghyuck's eyes.

Donghyuck, who gives Jaemin a very pointed glance to Renjun. Gives him a thumbs up, a small smirk to act like he's confident, even though Jaemin can _see_ how terrified he is.

Donghyuck moves, purposely making noises. Purposely drawing the attention of the monster to himself, and away from Renjun and Jaemin.

She disappears, suddenly reappearing for a second before Renjun, then moving forward again. Jaemin realises it's short bursts of teleportation, and she has her weapon up and ready to swing the moment she lands.

Jaemin watches. She's following Donghyuck, and makes one more short burst before she suddenly folds over, making a weakened sound.

The teleportation has limits, Jaemin figures. She can only do so many, and it's the only thing that's saving them.

The claws are moving closer, and the movement catches Jaemin's attention. Moving faster, like they're waking up from a slumber.

Jaemin makes sure Donghyuck is far enough, has led the monster far enough away, before he sprints for Renjun.

"I'm sorry," he whispers to Renjun, hands coming up under his armpits and hauling him up, following the hook upwards until he's off. The squelching sound almost makes Jaemin ill, but he forces himself to breathe through it.

Renjun stumbles a moment, gasping, hand pressed to the wound in his shoulder.

The clawed monster — an entity, Jaemin thinks — makes a small sound. He knows it'll be enough to get the monster's attention, and she'll be back to try and catch them saving each other.

Jaemin pushes at Renjun, because he'd rather they be injured than _dead._ Renjun, thankfully, gets his footing underneath him and moves. They sprint until they've got a fair bit of distance, then Renjun stops to catch his breath.

Renjun's got something in his hands, something he hasn't dropped. Jaemin realises it's a small medical kit, and he quickly takes it out of Renjun's hand and digs through it.

Gauze is the best he can do, placing pressure on the bleeding, and he hopes it's enough to last them. Jaemin feels like they're sitting ducks, Renjun crouched underneath him and trying not to wince in pain, and Jaemin making sure the gauze is wrapped tight enough to be secure.

The sound of a completed generator faintly reaches them.

_Jeno._

Four generators down.

The second Jaemin finishes the dressing, they move. Jaemin needs to reorientate himself, figure out where he is, and find the next generator.

Renjun is moving much better, barely grunting in pain. He gestures for Jaemin to follow, confident in where he's moving, and Jaemin follows without question.

He leads them to a generator. Jaemin shakes out his hands, starting on it with Renjun.

Doing his best to focus on the task at hand, not on the worry for his friends, is all he can do.

Then they hear the sound of Donghyuck screaming, yelling and cursing, and Jaemin tries to control his breathing.

It ends with a final, awful scream of pain. Renjun makes a face, obviously relating in sympathy, rolling his shoulder out carefully.

"Do we go?" Jaemin quietly asks. Renjun's hands pause a moment — he looks unshaken, face stony and focused, but Jaemin can see the way his hands shake.

"Wait. Better to try and finish more of this if we can, see if Jeno gets him," Renjun replies, "We will get him though, just wait."

Jaemin hates the plan, but it makes sense. It's less time to try and complete it now — better than getting halfway with the generator, then going to try and save Donghyuck, only to have to head right back here.

But time passes, and Jaemin fears the worst. Renjun looks nervous too, glancing back like he can see through the fields.

"Go," Renjun tells him.

Jaemin doesn't need to be told twice. The generator isn't far off, and Jaemin hurries to try and get Donghyuck.

The entity is back, and Jaemin uses it as his guidance across the grounds. It's moving more, and Jaemin sees Donghyuck struggling on the hook with one of the sharp leg-like forms, making sure it doesn't pierce his chest.

He sees Jeno running for Donghyuck. The monster is a fair distance off, but Jeno's careful as he takes Donghyuck off the hook, and Jaemin knows what's going to happen.

He runs, standing in front of Jeno's back, protecting both of them.

He blinks.

The monster appears before him.

A nurse, he realises. She's a nurse.

But she's still a monster, and she's raising her arm to strike. Jaemin doesn't move. He _will_ protect his friends.

Her weapon — a bonesaw, he realises — strikes him. Hits him in the shoulder, and he yells in pain.

Jeno grabs his arm and pulls him along. She's weakened by the teleportation, and it gives them a moment to get away.

Donghyuck runs in another direction to them, clearly injured and in pain, but _moving._

The nurse teleports again, and Jaemin hears it. He pushes Jeno away, just in time — her swing misses both of them. But it forces them to split up, both running separate ways.

She goes after Jaemin.

He runs, mind working endlessly, trying to _think._ She gets terrifyingly close at one point, and he turns to swing down a broken palette to block her. It stuns her a second, but Jaemin knows he doesn't have long. Not against something that can _teleport._

A generator is completed. There's an alarm that rings through the field.

The gates have power.

She swings for Jaemin, and this time she does not miss.

Jaemin goes down with blinding pain, falling to the ground. This is it, he realises. This is where she takes him to a hook, and he has to fight for his life against some encompassing entity.

But then Jeno appears, distracting her. She decides to take chase, and Jaemin is still stuck on the floor, unable to move, unable to get _up._

He can only listen. Listen out, waiting for Jeno's cry that never comes.

Renjun comes, though. Renjun appears above Jaemin, wrapping his side with gauze and injecting a needle, giving Jaemin a burst of energy. He gets up with Renjun's help, who guides him in a very particular direction.

The _gates._ Renjun has led him to the gates. Donghyuck is before them, looking back as he keeps the switch pressed down. There's loud alarms going off, but then —

The gate is open.

Renjun pushes Jaemin into the small area, where Jaemin can see an endless field stretched before him. But that has to be it — this has to be the exit.

"Jeno," he breathes out.

"Coming," Donghyuck replies, encouraging Renjun and Jaemin forward. "Right behind us."

They wait at the edge of the field for him. The floor is starting to open up, cracks appearing, the entity's presence pressing down on them.

Jeno is sprinting towards them, the nurse on his tail.

Jaemin reaches out his hand, grabbing Jeno and pulling him — narrowly escaping the nurse teleporting, the bonesaw swinging right through the space Jeno was a second ago.

They all hold hands with each other, and together they run into the field.  
  


—

Later, Jaemin will be at a campfire.

Jeno, Renjun, and Donghyuck are beside him.

A thought appears, with startling clarity, something he knows to be true.

_We have been here before._

**Author's Note:**

> A new game lobby is the survivors standing around a campfire :) 
> 
> Again, thank you so much to my beta and the mods!! And thank you for reading <3
> 
> come yell at me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/shiningstarhwa) <3 <3 <3


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